A few years ago we dipped into the mystery of the New York City-specific expiration date on milk cartons, but what about our bread? Assuming you buy loaves at the market and not the bakery, you know the bags usually contain a sell-by date. But there's also a way of telling how long they've been sitting on the shelf. Wisebread has a breakdown of "the bread code," which is really quite simple! You know the hard plastic things that hold the bags together? The color will tell you which day of the week the loaf was baked on (and twist ties generally follow the same color code)—really, Snopes confirms! Here's what you need to remember: more ›

Acting on last year's study showing that many lower-income neighborhoods desperately need decent grocery stores, today Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Paterson have announced a new program to encourage "the establishment and retention of neighborhood grocery stores in underserved communities in Northern Manhattan, the South Bronx, Central Brooklyn and Jamaica, Queens." It's called the Food Retail Expansion to Support Health (FRESH) Food Stores program, and the mayor's office predicts it will "help create an estimated 15 new grocery stores and upgrade 10 existing stores, creating 1,100 new jobs and retaining 400 others over 10 years." more ›

Let’s not let the bitter turf war between the Fancy Food Show and the Unfancy Food Show eclipse the other fine food event going down this weekend. Sunday marks the third seasonal New Amsterdam Public market – the winter version was a big hit last December, drawing thousands despite a huge snowstorm. The one day-only event draws fine artisanal food vendors to the plaza fronting the New Market Building down by the South Street Seaport. more ›

Rap artist RZA, who is a member of the Wu-Tang Clan, has an interesting sideline occupation: recreational chess champion. RZA (pronounced RIZ-a) sat down with New York Times chess man Dylan McClain to talk about his love of the game. At the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, the duo played a game and discussed how RZA became involved with chess and what it means to him. more ›

Wouldn’t be caught dead with a “latte” from Starbucks or a Coolata from Dunkin Donuts? Well, you haven’t reached the summit of coffee snobbery until you’ve had the self-proclaimed “ultimate” cup of coffee, expertly prepared by computers and pneumatic tubes at the Lower East Side’s Roasting Plant. Since opening last spring, business has been hopping at the sleek Orchard Street café; coffee aficionados are drawn back as much for the fresh coffee as for the experience of seeing it made. more ›